Signal



Jan. 5 1926.

J. H; SCHROEDER S I GNAL Filed Sept. 21, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 5 1926. I

J. H. SCHROEDER SIGNAL Filed Sept. 21 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 duet-.10 0

Patented Jam 5, 1926 UNITED STATES v 1,568,628" PAT N FI JOHN H. scHaoEnnR, or crmnnns'roiv, scorn CAROLINA.

- "SIGNAL.

To all 207mm it m-ayconoem; Be it known that I, JOHN H. SorrRoEnER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and useful Signal, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention aims to provide a simple means whereby a moving railroad't-rain or other vehicle, on a track, may operate sig-, nals located on opposite sides of the'track, along a highway, thereby to admonish persons proceeding along the highway, that a train is approaching, the signal or semaphore being moved to danger positionas the train approaches, and being vmoved tosafe position after the train has passed.

It is within theprovince of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects inview which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

In thedrawingsa- Figure 1 is a plan wherein parts are broken away; Figure 2 is a side elevation wherein parts are broken away; Figure 3 is an elevation showing the parts which are connected immediately to the semaphore; Figure 4 is a plan showing certain of the operating mechanisms which are located adjacent to the track;'Figure 5 is an elevation showing another of the mechanisms which are located adjacent to the track; Figure 6 is an elevation showing the train-carried.

I which lsconnected pivotally to a horlzonoperating means. p

The numerals 1 and 2 designate-the rails of a track, the track being crossed by-ra highway .100, as shown inFigure 1. The

rails 1 and 2 are supported on ties 3 carry:

ing guides 4wherein a rigid operating member, such as a rod, is mounted for right-line reciprocation. A slotted arm. 6 is connected to the operating memberfi and extends beneath the rail 1,.the arm 6- receivin a pro ectlon 7 on a horizontally" move l e bell crank lever B fulcrllmed at 9 between the Application filed September 21, 1925. SerialNo. 57,649. I

rails 1 and 2,and referredto hereinafter as the third bell crank. The third bell crank lever 8, like other bell crank levers hereinafter mentioned, may be in' the form of an approximately triangularv plate. A rigid connection 10 is pivoted at 11 to the third bell crank lever'8 and is pivoted at 12 to a sixth bell crank lever 14 fulcrumed at 15, outside of the rail 2, the sixthbell crank lever being connected at 16 to a rod 17 or the like, to which isunited a flexible element 18 connected to the lower end of:a weighted car-operated actuating lever 19, mounted to swing vertically, and fulcrumed at 20, intermediate its ends, the lever 19 being located'outside of the rail 2, and being referred to as the first operated actuating lever. i I I The operating member or rod 5 carries a slotted arm 21 whichextends beneath the rail 1, the slotted arm 21 cooperating with a projection 22 on a second horizontally movable bell crank lever: 23, fulcrumed at 24 between the rails 1 and 2, the lever 23 being pivotallyconnected at 25 toa rod '26. or the like, the rod 26 being pivoted at 27 to a ver-,

tically movable first bell crank lever 28'fulcrumed at29 on a support or post 30 located outside of the rail 2, an upwardly extended rigid connection 31 being pivoted at 32 to the first bell crank lever 28, and being piv-* oted at its upper end, as at 3 3, toone end of a semaphore 34, the semaphore 34 being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, as I at 35, on

the post 30, the semaphore 34 being equipped,

near to its free end with a reflector 36 adapted to be lighted up'by the head lamps of approaching vehicles.

The operating member or rod 5 carries an inwardly extended slotted arm 37 prolonged beneath the rail 1 and recelvlng a projectlon 38gon:a; fourth bell crank lever 39 fulcrumed at 40 between the rails 1 and 2and con-.

nected pivotally at 41 to a rod 42 or the like,

52 or other flexible element, which is united,

t 53 1 QW I and 9f Second car-oper 58 being pivotedat61to a rod 60. which is: connected by a mechanism62, likethat. shown, in Figure 3, and hereinbefore described,

with. a semaphore 63,, constructed like the semaphore 34, and mounted on a post o r support 64, the posts, 6411116130 being located on opposite, sides of' the highway 100, and on opposite sides of, the track 1 -2,

In Figure 6, the, numeral designates a locomotive car or other vehicle, provided with a frame 67 the, frame including inclined sidesv68 adapted to engage the levers l9jand 5.4.

Suppose that a train is moving to theleft in Figure 1. Then, one of the inclined sides 68 on the frame 67 that is carried by the locomotive 65, engages the first caroperated actuating lever 30 and tilts the same. The flexible element 18 and the rod 17 eXerta pull 011 the sixth bell crank lever 14 and tilt the bell cranklever on. its fulcrum 15. From the sixth bell cranklever 14, motion is transmitted by the connection 10 to the third bell crank lever 8, that, lever swinging on. its fulcrum 9, and the projection 7011 the said lever causing the rod 5 to move to the left, through the instrumentality of the slotted arm 6. When the rod 5 moves to the left, the slotted arm 21 moves to, the leftalso, the projection 22 swinging the sec ond;bell} crank lever 23, the bellcrank lever 23 exerting a thrust on the rod 26, the rod 26 swinging the first bell crank-lever 28 on,

its fulcrum 29', the rodlorl connection 31 being raised, and causing the semaphore 34, to swing downwardly on its. fulcrum 35, into the danger position shown inFigure 2 of the drawing, At the same time, thearm 56. moves to the left, and, through the i11stru mentality of the said other bell crank lever 58 and the connection 60, together with the mechanism indicated at; 62-, the semaphore 63 islow'ere'd' into a danger position; Persons approaching the tracl 1-2, therefore, on the highway 10.0,. from opposite directions, are advised that a train is movingalong the track-'1-2;;

After the train has passed the, highway 100, one of the parts 68' ofthe frame 67 on the locomotive 65- engages the second carrperated actuating lever 54 and tilts that lever on its fulcrum 55, the flexible element and the rod 50 exerting a pulljon the intermediate-lever 48 and swinging the lever 48 on its fulcrum 49, the connection 46 swinging the fifth bell crank lever 43, and motion being transmitted from the fifth bell crank lever 43 to the fourth bell crank lever 39, the projection 38- onthe fourth bell crank lever 39 cooperating with the arm 37 on the rod 5, to move the rod 5 to the right and to restore the semaphores 34 and 63 to lowered, or safe positionsl Owing to the fact that the flexible elements 18 and 52 are provided, a train may backup on the track 1}2 without breaking, the operating mechanism, the car-operated actuatinglevers 54and 19 swinging readily nltheir'fu cra- A car-operated actuating'member 69, in the form of a lever, is fulcrumed intermediateits ends on a post 7 2 or, thelike, located outwardly, of the rail 1, the lower end of the lever 69 being connected to a flexible element 70-,which is oined at 71 to'the slidable rod or. operating member 5. The car-operated lever 69 is located about opposite to the second car-operated lever 54. The showing of the lever 54 in Figure 5 will suffice to indicate how the lever 69 ismade. A similar car-operated actuating lever 73 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a post 7 1- located outwardly of the rail 1, the caroperated lever 73 being disposed. about opposite to the first car-operated lever 19. The lever,7,3 isiconnected by a flexible element 7.5 and, rod '16 with the upperend of an inter-mediate lever 78 fulcrumed between its ends on a post 79 or the like, located outwvandly of the raill, the lever 78 being pivoted at its lower end. to a rigid link 80 which, in its, turn, ispivotally mounted, at 81- on the f0d5.

A train moving to the right on the track 12, operates the lever 69, the flexible ele ment 70 drawing the operating member or red 5 to, the, left and actuating 1 the semaphores. 3 and 63 to .daneer p sition, iii-thervav. hereinbefore described.v

ther train passes to the. righ of. the

highway 100 in Figure l the, mechanism shownin Figure 6-coonerates with the lever 73, the flexible element 75. therod76, the in termediate lever 7,8,and the link 80 to move: the.- rod 5'to the right and to restore the semaphores 34 and 63 to safe position, the flexible connections 70 and permitting the train to back up, in the way her.einbe-- fore mentioned connection. with the parts 18 and52.

What isclaimed is 1. The combination with atrack including rails, and a highway crossing the track, of a support disposed along the highway at one side of the track, a semaphore mounted intermediate its ends On-the support to swing vertically, av first bell crank fulcrumedon the support to swingvertically, second, thirdand. fourth bel ranks fnlcrumed be e n zontally and outwardly of one of the rails, a-

connection between the-third and sixth bell cranks, a connection between the fourthand fifth bell cranks, a rigid operating member mounted for right-line sliding movement in a direction parallel to the track and located outwardly of the other of the rails, rigid arms projecting inwardly from the operating member beneath said other rail, the arms being slidably engaged, respectively, with the second, third and fourth bell cranks, first and second car-operated actuating levers fulcrumed intermediate their ends for vertical swinging movement and disposedon opposite sides of the highway outwardly of said one rail, a connection between the lower end of the first car-operated lever and the siXth bell crank, an intermediate lever mounted between its ends For vertical swinging movement, a connection between the upper end of the third lever and the lower end of the second caroperated lever, and a connection between the lower end of the intermediate lever and the fifth bell crank.

2. The combination with a track including rails, and a highway crossing the track, of a support disposed along the highway at one side of the track, a semaphore mounted intermediate its ends on the support to swing vertically, a first bell crank mounted to swing vertically on the support, a connection between the first bell crank and one end of the semaphore, a rigid operating member mounted for right-line sliding movement outwardly of one of the rails, another bell crank mounted for horizontal swinging movement outwardly of the operating memher, a connection between said other bell crank and the first bell crank, an outwardly projecting arm on the operating member and slidably engaged with said other bell crank, car-operated actuating levers disposed on opposite sides of the highway, along the track, and fulcrumed intermediate their ends for vertical swinging movement, a flexible connection between one caroperated lever and the operating member, an intermediate lever fulcrumed between its ends for vertical swinging movement, a flexible connection between the upper end of the intermediate lever and the other car-operated lever and a rigid connection pivoted to the lower end of the intermediate lever and to the operating member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

JOHN H. SOHROEDER. 

